Dementia Friendly Newcastle

Newcastle is committed to becoming a Dementia Friendly city. This is a place where people living with dementia are:

understood
respected
supported
included
involved
confident they can contribute to their community
have choice and control in their lives
can find local help and support

It is a place where everyone is aware of and understands dementia.

Newcastle City Council is working in partnership with local communities and businesses. They want to ensure people with dementia and their carers feel safe and live in the way they want to in their community.

Newcastle Council’s Dementia Friendly Newcastle project brings people living with dementia and their carers together with community partners to improve wellbeing, take part in activities and increase knowledge of local support available.

Advice and Information

Understanding Dementia Sessions

To help you understand how dementia may impact on a persons life, what services you may be involved with and how you can make a difference, you may want to take part in an information or training sessions:

Dementia Friends Information Sessions give you a better understanding of the types of dementia, how it affects people and their carers as well as dementia friendly actions you can take.

FutureLearn run some free online courses created by Universities where you can learn more about:

Living well as dementia progresses Newcastle University
Dementia Care: Staying Connected and Living Well . A course for carers: Newcastle University
The many faces of dementia: University College London

Bridging the Dementia Divide is a free dementia course from University of Derby

Unison offer their trade union members free training and learning opportunities. They have some dementia awareness sessions in Newcastle. Contact your local representative for more information.

Navigating the Maze films

Navigating the Maze was a series of webinars for professionals about services for people with dementia and how to access them. The films cover:

Dementia research and innovation with Professor Lynne Corner

Dementia and housing including assistive technology;

Aids and adaptations for Dementia

Housing options including: assisted living, home care and residential care

Please note services may have changed since the webinars were released. Please check organisations listings or contact services to check their offer.

Communicating with people living with dementia

Research shows that many people are worried about ‘saying the wrong thing’ to people living with dementia. Most people know someone affected yet, most people living with dementia feel isolated and lonely. A friendly face or a listening ear can make a great difference.

Conversation tips from people living with dementia:

‘Talk to me, smile, be a little patient and give me time to reply.’
‘A simple ‘hello’, ask about the weather, anything that you feel comfortable with.’
‘Just be yourself and yes, we will make mistakes but it’s ok to laugh along with us.’
‘I love it when people ask me questions. It gives me an opportunity to show that people with dementia exist, that we can still contribute to things going on around us and that life goes on. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like me again’
‘Just don’t ask if I remember.’
‘Don’t be afraid. All it takes is a conversation to see we’re still us.’

Alzheimers Society have an article on How to communicate with a person with dementia

Dementia UK have an article on How to communicate with someone with dementia remotely

Newcastle University’s Dementia toolkit for effective communication (DEMTEC) is a toolkit to communicate well with people living with dementia including body language, environment and understanding behaviours. There are toolkit versions for family members, social carers and healthcare professionals to use.

Accessible information

People living with dementia their family and carers have a right to ask for information in a way that is easiest for them to understand. For example someone living with dementia and a learning disability may want information in plain English and in Easy read, or someone living with dementia and sight loss may want information spoken to them or an audio version. Your local Council and NHS are required to do this by law.

Read more about Accessible information

Support

Dementia Friendly groups and activities

Memory cafes and dementia support groups are a safe, comfortable and supportive environment for people with dementia and their carers to socialise. They also provide information about living with dementia and local services that are available. Other dementia friendly activities and groups available in Newcastle include day clubs, dementia friendly sports, gardening and singing groups.

Search Newcastle run regular memory cafes, singing for your brain and other dementia friendly groups.

Silverline Memories run regular memory cafes, support groups, a young onset dementia group and other dementia groups.

Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC) run a monthly football themed memory cafe at St James’ Park on the last Thursday of the month.

St Vincents Centre run a drop-in memory cafe on Tuesdays

St Martins centre run a dementia Memory tea group with activities and information on benefits and lasting power of attorney.

Chain Reaction run dementia friendly groups including a Friendship hub with opportunity to chat, have a cuppa, play games and socialise with others; as well as a dementia friendly gardening session. Places are limited. Call to find out more information and book a place.

Scotswood community garden run dementia friendly gardening sessions

St Georges Church, Jesmond run a dementia friendly singing group on Fridays

Newcastle United Foundation run dementia friendly walking football sessions

Equal Arts Creative Age sessions are ran at the Hatton Gallery and t he BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. These are friendly, creative and inclusive sessions for older adults exploring contemporary art in a dementia-friendly environment. Contact Equal Arts for more information.

You can find more dementia friendly events on InformationNOW using the link below:

Search for dementia groups and activities using our events calendar

Protecting vulnerable people

There is a national scheme called the Herbert Protocol, to record useful information about a vulnerable person that can be used by police if the person goes missing. Carers, family members and friends can download and complete the form to give vital details about the person they care for including: medication needed, emergency contacts, places they’ve lived previously and a photograph.

The form can then be handed straight to Police if needed. It can make a real difference. It could help reduce the amount of time a vulnerable person is missing, bringing them to safety even quicker. For more information visit Northumbria Police’s website.

Living well

Getting involved

You may be interested in volunteering and talking about your experiences of dementia:

Alzheimers society Newcastle run a Dementia Voice Local group where people living with dementia and carers can share experiences, be part of focus groups and get involved with local, regional and national projects.

Join Dementia Research offer opportunities to be involved in local, regional and national research studies

NE-DeNDRoN is a local network of clinicians who conduct research into dementia and other related conditions

VOICE at Newcastle University, involves members of the public in research. You can become a member of VOICE and work with academics to improve the focus, quality, relevance and impact of research, to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project (DEEP) have guides written with DEEP groups to share good practice in involving people with dementia in research, focus groups, and meetings.

WellbeingSpace at The Grainger Market

This is a pop up space at The Grainger Market where you can find out about dementia, prevention and living well with the condition. There’s information on health and local services and wellbeing clinics, such as Blood pressure clinics take place in this space.

In the community

Slow or quiet shopping hours are quieter hours with supportive staff at shopping and retail spaces for people living with dementia. Venues in Newcastle that offer quiet hours are:

Eldon Square have regular quiet hours every Tuesday from 10am to 11am and every Saturday 9am to 10am
Sainsbury’s in Gosforth offer the service on Tuesday afternoon
John Lewis have an area in their cafe ‘The Place to Eat’ where the tables are set on the first Tuesday 9am to 11am and and Saturday 9am to 10am of the month
Newcastle Building Society have quiet hours at all branches. Ask to find the time at your local branch.
Morrisons have quiet hours 2pm to 3pm, Monday to Thursday at all of their stores.
ASDA Byker have quiet hours 2pm to 3pm, Monday to Thursday.
Tesco Extra, Brunton Lane in Newcastle has quiet hours Wednesday and Saturday, 9am to 10am.
Tesco at Kingston Park offer slow shopping on Tuesday afternoons.
Ikea, Gateshead have slow shopping hours Tuesdays 6pm to 8pm, Wednesdays 10am to 12pm
Metro Centre Gateshead have quiet hours on the first Tuesday of every month from 9am to 10am and the following Saturday of every month from 9am to 10am

Cinemas, museums and galleries

Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums have free museum object boxes that you can borrow for up to 4 weeks. You can use these as part of a guided session. Looking at museums objects, remembering TV, Music & hobbies and telling stories can help improve your mood, with memory issues and to make connections. They have also produced a booklet for professionals in health, care, social and community settings on how to use the object boxes to support people.

The Tyneside Cinema hold Dementia Friendly Screenings. These are fortnightly daytime screenings for people with dementia and their families and carers.

Life (Centre for Life) run Relaxed Sessions every Sunday from 10am – 12pm, with fewer visitors, lowered noise and lighting as well as sensory support packs and memory aids. They also offer free admissions for a carer or dedicated assistants for every disabled visitor.

Theatre Royal offer accessible performances including relaxed performances with lowered lighting, noise and a relaxed room.

Libraries

Newcastle Libraries run the ‘Reading Well Books on Prescription‘ scheme. The collection provides:

- information and advice about dementia and normal ageing
- support following diagnosis
- practical help for carers
- personal accounts of people with dementia and their relatives and carers
- suggested therapeutic activities.
- if you have a Newcastle Library card you can pick the books directly up from one of Newcastle’s participating libraries, or you could be prescribed a book from your GP or care worker.

Newcastle City Library and Community Hub have a Tovertafel (magic table in English) .The Tovertafel projects animations onto table surfaces where people can interact with the light by moving their arms and hands. The light interactive games have been developed for people living with dementia and other disabilities. If you would like a demonstration or to book a session please email the date and time to [email protected] to check for availability.

Jesmond Library have dementia information and books. They also run activities.

Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre brings music therapy to schools, care homes, hospices, hospitals, mental health services, and brain injury units. Music therapy has many benefits for people affected by dementia – improves memory, cognitive skills, communication and social connections.

Accessible spaces

People living with dementia can face challenges with their sight, perception of space, navigation or movement. There are venues in Newcastle that are accessible for people living with dementia and those who support them.

Read more about accessible venues in Newcastle

Read more about public and accessible toilets in Newcastle

Resources to become more dementia friendly

Alzheimers Society have a range of dementia friendly resources on their website, this includes:

Dementia Services Development Centre have a Dementia Friendly Design Tool with dementia friendly design tips for care environments, public spaces, Leisure and activity centres, libraries, supermarkets and shops, transport and more.

Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project (DEEP) have a checklist you can use to audit how dementia friendly inside spaces and outside spaces are.

Planning Ahead

For people living with dementia and their families, it is important to think about planning ahead for your future care, later life, end of life and your estate after death.

Read Planning Ahead: a guide on InformationNOW to think about your choices for later life and end of life. including:

Everything in Place is a free interactive training programme of information and advice from St Cuthberts Hospice and Newcastle Carers covers a wide range of areas, including:

Wills
Powers of Attorney
Mental capacity
Advanced Care Planning
Funeral planning
Organ donation
Digital legacy
Having difficult conversations

The Marie Curie Wellbeing Centre is an outpatient service at Marie Curie Newcastle for patients with a life limiting condition – including dementia, their family and carers. You must be referred in by a professional. They run a range of groups and services such as:

Art therapy
complementary therapies
Gardening project
cognitive stimulation therapy
bereavement support

They also run a Everything in Place course.

Read more about Palliative and hospice care

Resources

Read our article on How to tailor InformationNOW to your access needs

Tips for Christmas Independent Age have some tips on helping people who are sharing Christmas (or any other celebration) with someone living with dementia. Tips like finding a film on the many channels that they know and can enjoy; help them feel involved with tasks they can do in the kitchen or wrapping presents etc.

Playlist for Life is a music and dementia charity that helps people with dementia, their families, friends or carers create personal music playlists. Music playlists can help with memory recall and wellbeing. There are help points at Newcastle Libraries where you can get a copy of Playlist for Life’s booklet ‘Create the Soundtrack of Your Life’ to help you create a playlist to listen to.

Life Story Work in Lockdown a resource for carers and people with dementia during coronavirus lockdown

Last updated: July 18, 2024